Bill-file.



PATBNTED NOV. 17, 1903.

G. H. MA URER.

BILL FILE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1-903 NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented ovember 17, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

BILL-FILE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No, 744,086, dated November 17, 1903.

Application filed January 20, 1903. Serial No. 139,827. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. MAURER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bill Files and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

My invention relates to bill-files adapted for temporarily as well as permanently filing bills, letters, accounts, and the like papers; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of the parts of a device of this class, as will be herein fully described and claimed.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming part of this specification, Figure l is a front or face view of the improved bill-file,

showing the bail and arms folded or closed.

Fig. 2 is a rear face view, partly in section, the bail and arms in the open or unfolded positions. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view showing the springs and crankarm in section. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of one of the crank-arms.-

Referring by numeral to the accompanying drawings, 1 is the base, back, or body of the bill-file, which is preferably made of wood in any suitable ornamental style, rectangular in form in outline, and of a size suitably convenient for holding thepapers to be filed and for permitting'the bill-file, together with its contents, to be inserted within suitable pockets or pigeonholes in a case provided for the reception of numerous bill-files of this improved construction. In the upper or top end edge of the base or body of said bill-file are provided recesses 2, made or let into the base orbody l,and within these recesses 2 and through the mouths of the same are inserted two opposed flat springs 3, which engage and contact with the notched arms 4 of a bail 5 near the upper end of the base, back, or body of said bill-file, said bail being pivoted or hinged in its said recesses and adapted to be turned downwardly and inwardly upon the papers to be filed to clamp and hold them against said base, body, or back and also to be turned upwardly and maintained ata'right angle to said base or body, and, further, to be turned or moved outwardly or beyond the end edge of said base or back to entirely clear the same, so that any papers on said base or back may be freely lifted therefrom for any purpose that may be necessary or desirable. The mouths of said recesses 2 are covered by angle-plates or corner-pieces of metal having openings or bearing-seats through which the notched arms a are passed into said recesses and between the springs 3, the inner ends of said arms 4 extending beyond the inner edges of said springs 3 andfthe flat portions of said arms 4E bearing against the opposed faces of said springs 3 and serving to hold the bail in either the open or closed position,accordingly as the bail is moved or manipulated. Either or both faces of thebody of the bill-file may be used to clamp paper upon, as the bail may be turned over the end of the base or back and brought against either the front face or rear face of said base, back, or body, so that either face may be used alone or both faces may be used at the same time, the bail being used to clamp the papers to one face of the base or body of the bill-file and the arms at the opposite end of the base or body being employed to clamp papers or bills to the opposite side of the base or body, so that it is evident that in this construction both faces of the base or body may be utilized at one and the same time. At its lower end the base or body is provided with two hinged clamping-arms 6, which are also controlled by opposed springs similar to the springs 3, and these arms 6 are seated in pockets or recesses 7 in the lower end edge of the base or body of the bill-file and are controlled by opposed lateral springs similar to said springs 3, that control the bail 5, in order that said arms may be turned inwardly upon the papers to be held or may be turned outwardly parallel with the side edges of the base or body to permit the inspection of the papers or their removal from the base or back when desirable. The springs 3 are inserted in the recesses and are allowed or permitted to embrace or engage the notched arms 4 of the bail 5, so that when the latter is operated the springs will be expanded or relaxed, accordingly to the direction of movement given to the bail/permitting the bail to be used on either side of the back or base.

Fig. 3 of the drawings shows a sectional view near the upper end edge of the base, back, or body, within which are supported the two springs 2 and 3, which are flat springs and are engaged or come into contact with the notched arms 4 of the bail 5.

The bill-file is adapted to be inserted, with its contents, into the pigeonhole of any suitable case provided for its reception, so that the papers may be filed permanently or be withdrawn for inspection at any time desired.

What I claim is 1. The combination with the back or base of a bill-file, of a spring-controlled bail near the upperend of said back or base, and springcontrolled clamping-arms at the opposite end of and parallel with the length of said base and adapted to be clamped and unclamped thereon, substantially as specified.

2. In a bill-file, the combination with the base or body of said bill-file, of a spring-controlled bail connected near one end of said base or body, and adapted to be clamped against either face of said base or body by turning said bail clear of the end of said base or body and bringing it downwardly and inwardly against the desired face of said base or body and spring-controlled arms pivoted in the opposite end edge of the base or body and adapted to be turned into contact with either face of the base or bodyof said billfile, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. MAURER. Witnesses:

DAVID L. GITT,

GEORGE M. BOND. 

